Apparatus for making coal-gas.



No. 674,695. Patented May 2|, I90l. E. M. EIDHERR.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING COAL GAS.

(Application filed July 19, 1900.! (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 674,695. Patented May 2|,19m.

' E. m. EIDHERR.

APPARATUS FOR muons COAL GAS.

(Application filed July 19, 1000.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

EDWARD M. EIDHERB, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING COAL-GAS SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 674,695, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed July 19, 1900. Serial No. 24,169. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. EIDHERR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ProducingCoal-Gas and Coke; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to anovel construction in an apparatus forproducing gas and coke, the object being to provide a simple andefficient device of this character; and it consists in the features ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is afront elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail horizontal section of one of the retorts.Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of a chemical-receptacle andatomizing device employed. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view showing abattery of the receptacles shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front elevationof a coke-oven. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

My said apparatus is designed principally for carrying out my processfor producing gas and coke as described and claimed in a companionapplication, filed July 19, 1900, Serial No. 24,170. This processconsists in placing coal in a closed retort and heating same until thevolatile constituents have been partially freed. Hydrochloric acid incombination with glycerin is then introduced by means of superheatedsteam for the purpose of opening the silicates and pyrites contained inthe coal for the further action of glycerin and nitric acid, both thelatter acting upon the sulfur contained in the coal to transform thesame into glycerin-sulfuric acid, O H (OH) HSO 0 11 80 andintosulfureted hydrogen, (E 8,) both soluble in abundance of water andremaining in the gas-water, thereby partially saving the cost ofpurification. Steam becomes decomposed into its component elements,oxygen and hydrogen, by superheat= ing in presence of carbon. Nitricacid is transformed into nitrous acid by the reducing influence ofcarbon, the surplus of free oxygen being absorbed by the hot carbon orcoke, owing to the property of carbon to mechanically inclose abouttwenty times its own volume of gases. Hydrogen in the condition ofgeneration has great affinity for carbon and combines with the carbon ofthe coal to form marsh-gas (CH and olefiant gas, (0 H and C H A part ofthe oxygen of the steam combines with the nitrous acid and regeneratesit into nitric acid, which is again immediately degenerated into nitrousacid through the influence of the carbon, and is thereby rendered fit tobind another portion of free oxygen.- This continuous degeneration andregeneration of the nitric acid works as in the manufacture of sulfuricacid, so that only a small quantity of nitric acid need be used. Thefree oxygen in statu nascendi is absorbed by the hot coke withoutcausing any chemical transformation of the carbon, owing to lack ofsufficiently high temperature to cause chemical transformation. Theoxygen thus mechanically absorbed by the coke is given off to theatmosphere as the coke cools. This chemical transformation by means ofthe nitric acid serves to aidin preventing the free oxygen fromchemically combining with the coke to form carbon monoxid and carbondioxid, the former being combustible, but very poisonous, and the latterbeing incombustible and a preventive of combustion. The hydrochloricacid besides acting upon the silicates and pyrites of the coal also actsupon the alkalies and chemically combines with the alkalies andsilicates, forming chlorids and facilitating the chemical transmutationof glycerin and nitric acid, as fully described in myLetters Patent No.613,980, issued November'8, 1898. The acids used in this process, asshown, are chemically transformed and rendered harmless. They do not goover into the gas, and therefore are not injurious to pipes and do noteffect any deterioration.

By means of my process above described I am enabled to produce a farlarger volume of gas from a given amount of coal than has heretoforebeen obtained, the increase varying according to the kind of coal used,but averaging one hundred to one hundred and fifty per cent. Thisincrease is due to the synthetic generation of coal-gas, due to theinfluence of superheated steam and chemicals, whereby syntheticgeneration of marsh-gas and olefiant gas is efiected.

In other processes in which the free oxygen is not absorbed the lattercombines with the carbon of the coal to form carbon monoxid and carbondioxidin excessive quantities and leaves the hydrogen free.

The following are true and correct analyses of the gas produced by theabove process and by the ordinary process, No. 1 being analysis underordinary process and No. 2 analysis with my process, these analysesserving to illustrate that the gas produced is practically the same,with the advantage of larger volume in favor of my process, the samecoal and the same apparatus being used for both, the duration of timeand quantity and quality of fuel being the same:

N0. 1 No. 2

Hydrogen (H) .1 32.07 33. 82 Marsh-gasl(CH,) 41. 28 39.15 Carbon monoxid(CO) 8.50 Olefiant gas (C 11 4. 50 Carbon dioxid (O0 2. Nitrogen (N) 10.33 Oxygen (O) 0.80 O.

said connection being so made that each rei tort may be separatelyconnected with said drum E. Leading from each of said retorts B is agas-outlet pipe F. Said retorts B and gas-outlet are constructed andarrangedin a well-known manner and require no particular description.

Interposed in the connection between the retorts B and drum E is adevice for feeding chemicals with the superheated steam. This deviceconsists of a vessel G, of an acid-proof substance, having aninlet-opening and vent H and an outlet-opening I. Said outlet I isclosed by means of a plug J, through which a tube K passes, whichextends downwardly to a point adjacent the bottom of said vessel. Saidtube K enters a valve-casing L, rigidly mounted upon said vessel, and iscontrolled by a valve M on a valve-stem N, entering said casing. Saidcasing is connected at one end with a pipe 0, leading from said drum E;The said pipe 0 terminates in a nozzle P, from which the superheatedsteam flows directly over the end of the tube K and thence into a pipeQ, leading to the retorts B. By this means the contents of the vessel Gare drawn up through said tube K and atomized and carried along by thesuperheated steam 3 and distributed therewith through the retorts. Thesaid vessel G is provided with a graduated scale K, by means of whichthe operator is enabled to see how rapidly the chemical is being fed tothe retorts, being enabled to regulate the quantity by means of thevalve M.

The vessels Gare preferably arranged in a battery of three, as shown inFig. 4, and are so connected with the supply of superheated steam thatthe contents of any one or all of said vessels may be atomized. Saidvessels are designed each to contain a different chemical, of which oneor two at a time are introduced into the retorts in carrying out myprocess. I

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 I have illustrated my apparatus as applied tocoke-ovens, which likewise are gas-producing apparatus, but differ fromthe retorts only in the fact that the gas is allowed to escape and isburned up at the outlet. My process when applied to the manufacture ofcoke only produces a coke from which all sulfur is practically expelled,thus leaving an almost pure carbon. In said ovens the perforated pipe isprovided with branch pipes and is mounted Ein depressions R in the floorof the oven S, so gas to leave a practically even surface for the ;cokeand making the same easily removable. The superheating-drums E aremounted over ;the outlet-openings at which the gas burns, so that thereis no additional expense in- I volved in the superheating of steam.

I desireit-to be understood that coke-ovens and gas-retorts are coke andgas producers land that my apparatus applies equally to both.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus for producing gas and =coke,the combination with a retort, a perfo rated pipe therein, a source ofsupply of-"superheated steam, and valve-controlled connectionbetweensaid perforated pipe and said superheated-steam supply, of avalve-casing interposed in said pipe connection, a chemical-receptacleconnected at its delivery end with said valve-casing, a valvecontrolling said delivery end, and a nozzle on the steaminlet to saidcasing, adapted to direct the flow of steam above and at right angles tosaid delivery end of said receptacle, wherebythe entering said casing!2. In an apparatus for makinggas and coke, the combination with aretort, a source of supply of superheated steam, and pipe connectionbetween the same, of'a Valve-casing interposedin said connection, anozzle on .the steam-inlet to said casing, a valve in said-casing, and areceptacle depending therefrom contents of said receptacle areatomized'upon In testiinony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

EDWARD M. EIDHERR;

Witnesses:

E. F. WILSON, RUDOLPH WM. LOTZ.

